Having had the opportunity to visit San Diego in the summer of 2015, we have returned with stories and, more importantly, photos to share with our Plant-Smart Living subscribers. We were constantly impressed with the natural environment present in this area of the country, something so different than what we normally see tucked away in the mountainous and grassy terrain of Eastern Pennsylvania.

During the summer of 2015, the team of PSL took a trip to visit some family in San Diego, California; and took advantage of this opportunity to also take in some of the beautiful sights Southern CA has to offer. Without a doubt, the landscape is far different than the moderate climate we typically have in Pennsylvania, so we are excited to share our stories and photographs with you! While there is much to see and do in this area, we found ourselves returning to Torrey Pines State Park several times during our week spent in California.

Having been to Watkins Glen State Park and the little college town of Ithaca, the team here at Plant Smart Living decided to make another trek into Upstate NY to see some more sights that were overlooked during the previous adventures. We decided to go to Taughannock Falls State Park as from photos we saw on Google, it appeared to be just our kind of place!

Gollub Park is found tucked away neatly amongst a semi-populated residential area in Easton, Pennsylvania. It is one of those local parks that you wouldn’t want to drive a long distance to visit (and I wouldn’t recommend it!), but if you live or are visiting the area, it’s well deserving of your time, especially if you want to see some unique views of the area from a place that is not traveled heavily at all.

You may have heard of Ithaca before. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising considering it is well known for the college it harbors: Cornell University. If the university doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps a well-known instructor and scientist, Dr. Carl Sagan, author of the science book Cosmos and star of the educational television series developed in the late 70s of the same name, might. Regardless of your feelings towards these little cultural facts, it is hard to deny the beauty of the landscape the relatively small town of Ithaca resides within. In fact, I decided to take the 3 hour journey from my home to visit the many waterfalls and Great Seneca Lake that resides within miles of the city because it appeared to be a relatively low key and beautiful place, while still having the “luxury” of some historical fame.

Here at Plant Smart Living we love sharing natural experiences with you. A member of our team went on a leisurely walk into a piece of industrial history found in Northampton, Pennsylvania. Without a doubt, there was some hesitation before arriving as to whether or not this trip would be worth it, as the photos and testimonials we were able to find online did not necessarily give us the impression this would be a large area to explore or overly worthwhile, but we took the plunge anyways. Upon arriving, we discovered that this walking path was well maintained and featured a playground for the kids. The old remnants of the industrial boom in PA, the cement kilns, were on full display to the public. They are truly breathtaking and visible from the parking area. The sheer scale of the kilns was impressive. While I love nature, seeing these ruins is quite unique, especially given how we place some emphasis on DIY/construction here at PSL as well.